7.07.2003

Regarding the story about the District's media campaign to encourage people to move into the city ["Selling a Hipper Image; Marketing Campaign Seeks to Attract Upscale Residents," D.C. Extra, June 19]:

I have lived in the District for more than 10 years, and I am committed to staying. However, for those on the fence, the daily irritation of dealing with the city government's incomprehensible small-mindedness will outweigh any media campaign.

I recently bought a car, and I had to wait awhile to receive my D.C. registration and parking permit. I parked the car in front of my house on a street that is zoned for residential parking and has never had parking problems. I put a note in the window indicating that I was waiting for a parking permit.

One morning my wife saw a parking enforcement officer looking at the car and went out to explain our situation. She was told that we needed to get a temporary parking permit from the police station. After going back in the house for a few minutes to get some milk for our toddler (whom the enforcement officer had seen crying and being fussy), my wife returned to find a $30 parking ticket on the car.

Under these circumstances, what harm would there have been in not ticketing my vehicle? And why didn't the officer tell my wife she would be ticketed if she didn't get the permit right away?

Just another, less-advertised aspect of "city living, dc style!"

STUART WEISER

Washington

Wow. This letter is almost certainly worty of this blog. That sounds almost exactly like me.

Well... add a couple "fuckings," and maybe a "dental dam" for good measure. Then it really would.